The Bee’s Knees is a true gem of a cocktail, perfect for those scorching summer days. With its delightful blend of lemon, honey, and gin, it creates a harmonious and refreshing thirst-quencher.
This classic drink hails from the Prohibition era when its ingredients were cleverly used to mask the harsh flavors of bootleg gin. The name comes from the popular slang of the time. Calling something “the bee’s knees” meant it was “the best.” And with a drink this tasty, it’s hard to argue. The whimsical name catches your attention, and the flavor more than lives up to the promise.
During a sweltering heat wave in Western Arkansas, I discovered it at a little craft cocktail bar tucked away off Dickson Street. It was mid-August and the mercury had surpassed 100 for twenty straight days. Searching for a reprieve, I put the Bee’s Knees to the test—and it delivered. In fact, it wasn’t long before I was cooled down enough to order another!
Bee’s Knees
Gin lemon and honey combine to make an amazing thirst quencher
Ingredients
- 2–1/2 oz premium gin
- 1 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 oz honey syrup (learn to make it here)
- lemon twist garnish
- frozen coupe glass
Instructions
- Fill a shaker about 2/3 with ice
- Add the gin, then the lemon juice and the honey syrup
- Shake it like you mean it until it’s so cold you need to put it down
- Remove your glass from the freezer
- Strain into the glass and garnish with a twist of lemon